As a candidate for president, Barack Obama called study commissions created by politicians "Washington-speak for we'll get back to you later."He mocked his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain, for suggesting a commission study the Wall Street meltdown, saying, "We don't need a commission to tell us how we got into this mess, we need a president who will lead us out of this mess, and that's the kind of president I intend to be."
But President Obama has already created about two dozen study commissions, blue-ribbon panels and task forces of his own -- roughly one a month since he took office -- to study not only major economic issues but childhood obesity, Hispanics and the middle class.
Here is a partial list (not counting interagency committees):
- The President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness
- White House Council for Community Solutions
- President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics
- National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling
- The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
- President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
- President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board
- President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability
- Council of Governors
- President's Advisory Commission on AsianAmericans and Pacific Islanders
- President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
